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Three-sy does it

Posted on: Mon 28 Sep 2009

Millwall res 0 Crystal Palace res 3

Three goals in the final 15 minutes saw Crystal Palace take the honours in Tuesday night's reserve derby clash at Dartford FC.
The Lions, who had failed to score in their opening two reserves fixtures of the season against Aldershot and Eastbourne, certainly looked brighter, but were unable to find that all-important killer touch in front of goal.
During a bright opening quarter of an hour Kamil Tevfik fired a yard over from the edge of the area, Lewis Grabban sent an effort narrowly wide and Marcus Bignot's low delivery was cleared as Richard Shaw's side pressed for the breakthrough.
Palace created their first opening of the game on 22 minutes when Kieran Djilali's cross from the left was met by the powerfully built Alassane N'Diaye, but his header was dealt with comfortably by John Sullivan.
Keeper Sullivan twice came to the rescue with a smart block from Jerry Nnamani (28mins) and then saved another header from N'Diaye as the visitors enjoyed their best period of possession in the half.
Millwall came closest to breaking the deadlock just past the half-hour mark when Lewis Grabban picked up a huge clearance from Sullivan, evaded the attentions of Lee Hills but then saw his drilled effort blocked by the feet of Darryl Flahavan in the Palace goal.
Marcus Bignot saw his angled drive smothered by Flahavan (42mins) which brought an immediate response from Palace, withTaurean McDonald-Roberts' cross-shot flashing wide of the far post.
Shaw's men should have broken the deadlock seconds before the break when Kiernan Hughes-Mason laid the ball off perfectly for Marc Laird, only for the midfielder to shoot too close to Flahavan, who averted the danger.
Unfortunately The Lions were made to pay for their first-half profligacy after the break.
Despite havng a couple of chances early in the second period with Laird firing over from a Hughes-Mason cross and sub Ikenna Ofoche side-footing straight at the keeper, it was Palace who took a grip on the game in the latter stages.
Firstly, Kieron Cadogan smashed home an angled right-foot drive into the top corner on 74 minutes, then, with 10 minutes remaining Simon Thomas rolled in the second after Sullivan had blocked the sub's initial effort.
Finally, Nathaniel Pinney applied the final touch to Djilali's cross from the right to complete a 3-0 scoreline.

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Millwall: Sullivan, Bignot, Barron (Fitzsimons), Bolder, Hegarty, Beckles, Hughes-Mason (Janneh), Laird, Marquis (Ofoche), Grabban, Tevfik. Subs not used: Drummond, Stevenson.

Crystal Palace: Flahavan, Kenlock, Hills, Holland, Nnamani, Comley, Cadogan, N'Diaye, Pinney, McDonald-Roberts, Djilali. Subs: Holness, Anderson, Thomas, Caprice, Parsons.

Ref: M. Hopkins
Att: 353

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